Panama Hattie (1942)

User Rating:

6.0/10   

Director:

Norman Z. McLeod

Writers:

Herbert Fields (play) and
Buddy G. DeSylva (play) ...

Release Date:

September 1942 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Musical

Tagline:

Swing as Ann Sings - Laugh as Red Clowns - Thrill to the Navy Stirring Battle-cry

Plot Keywords:

Alligator | Dog | Fistfight | Riot | Singer

Cast

Red Skelton	...	Red
Ann Sothern	...	Hattie Maloney
Rags Ragland	...	Rags (as 'Rags' Ragland)
Ben Blue	...	Rowdy
Marsha Hunt	...	Leila Tree
Virginia O'Brien	...	Flo Foster
Alan Mowbray	...	Jay Jerkins, Dick's Butler
Dan Dailey	...	Dick Bulliard (as Dan Dailey Jr.)
Jackie Horner	...	Geraldine 'Gerry' Bulliet
Lena Horne	...	Herself - Singer in Phil's Place
The Berry Brothers	...	Themselves, Performers

Runtime:

79 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Sound System)

Certification:

Finland:S | Sweden:15 | USA:Approved (PCA #7829) | USA:Passed (National Board of Review)

Company:

Loew's

Trivia:

Adapted from the Broadway musical "Panama Hattie", which opened at the 46th Street Theater in New York October 30, 1940 and ran for 501 performances. Ethel Merman played Hattie, Betty Hutton was Flo, Rags Ragland originated his movie role, Arthur Treacher played the butler, James Dunn was Bullet, and future film stars June Allyson, Lucille Bremer and Vera-Ellen were dancers.

Movie Connections:

References The Invisible Man (1933)

Soundtrack:

(Did I Get Stinkin') At the Savoy

not great

Ann Sothern is "Panama Hattie" in this 1942 film based on the Broadway musical starring Ethel Merman. Also starring are Dan Dailey, Red Skelton, Rags Ragland, Ben Blue, Virginia O'Brien (as Flo, originated on Broadway by Betty Hutton), Marsha Hunt, Lena Horne and the Berry Brothers. The story concerns a vivacious nightclub singer (Sothern) who falls in love with a man (Dailey) who has a young daughter, but she has competition from a socially prominent woman who warns Hattie that she's not of his class and won't make a good wife. There is a subplot concerning spies who are uncovered by three sailors (Skelton, Ragland and Blue).

This a very old-fashioned musical comedy plot with pleasant music, the highlight being "Just One of Those Things" as sung by the beautiful Lena Horne. The singing from Sothern and O'Brien is very good, and Sothern does well as the insecure, vulnerable and sometimes overdressed singer. The problem for me are the Three Stooges-like sailors - a little bit of that goes a long way.

Watch it for the singing and the patriotic "Good Neighbors" finale - it was wartime.